Motoring: Land Rover Defender

Photo of the 2015 Paul Smith Land Rover Defender, Picture credit should read: PA Photo/Handout. WARNING: This picture must only be used to accompany PA Feature MOTORING News.

Published:10:47Sunday 05 April 2015

British designer Sir Paul Smith has created a one-off Land Rover Defender with a multi-coloured exterior and a bespoke interior finish.

There are 27 different paint colours on the body, most of which were mixed specially for this vehicle from Pantone colour references provided by the designer.

“I wanted deep rich colours,” he said, “but at the same time I wanted them to work together, yet be surprising.”

“The Defender is a British icon, which is something I’m exceptionally proud of. I keep a Defender at my home in Italy which is in the middle of the countryside, so it’s the perfect vehicle to cope with the rugged terrain.”

On the inside, black leather is accentuated by blue contrasting stitching and a selection of design ‘Easter eggs’ added to the package on Smith’s instruction. “There are lots of little hidden details throughout. For example, there is an image of a set of keys printed inside the glove compartment.

“Then there is a hand-painted bee on the roof, which is another little tongue-in-cheek reference to the countryside and the heritage of the car. Also, the traditional Defender clock has been replaced with a Paul Smith fascia. My designs are known for their attention to detail, so I didn’t want this Defender to be any different.”

Gerry McGovern, design director and chief creative officer of Land Rover, added: “I felt it would be a fitting tribute to the iconic Defender, that one of Britain’s most distinguished designers worked with the Land Rover team to recognise his creative vision.”

The Defender is ceasing production this year due to tightening emissions regulations. A replacement is as-yet unfinished and unconfirmed.